Auction Catalogue

2 April 2004

Starting at 10:00 AM

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Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Grand Connaught Rooms  61 - 65 Great Queen St  London  WC2B 5DA

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Lot

№ 1287

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2 April 2004

Hammer Price:
£2,900

A fine Second World War submariner’s D.S.M. group of six awarded to Acting Chief Petty Officer L. H. C. Nicholson, Royal Navy, who served out in the Far East as coxswain of H.M. Submarine Thule: her story has been told by Alastair Mars, D.S.O., D.S.C.* in his wartime memoir “H.M.S. Thule Intercepts”

Distinguished Service Medal, G.VI.R. (A./C.P.O. L. H. C. Nicholson, D/JX. 150184); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star; Burma Star, clasp, Pacific; War Medal 1939-45 good very fine and better (6) £2000-2500

D.S.M. London Gazette 6 November 1945. The recommendation states:

‘For great coolness and cheerfulness in actions and other operations where successes have been achieved against the enemy. Nicholson has also nursed those suffering from sickness and wounds in a praiseworthy and humane manner, often under extremely trying conditions, at the same time carrying out his other duties.’

The Captain (S./M.), Fourth Submarine Flotilla, noted in his covering remarks: ‘The attached recommendations for awards are forwarded in respect of six patrols carried out by H.M. S./M.
Thule with great skill and determination under trying climatical conditions, in enemy waters of the Far East between November 1944 and August 1945. Thule was subject to enemy A./S. activity throughout.

Whilst the sinkings are not spectacular it is desired to emphasise that
Thule was largely employed on a series of special operations of the very highest priority, which debarred her from normal offensive operations. It was owing to the skill and efficiency with which Thule carried out these exacting and unspectacular commitments in operations “Carpenter” and “Mint” that Thule was kept in this employment. In fact, she was especially recalled from patrol in the South-West Pacific to carry out another operation under the C.-in-C., East Indies.

It is considered that such special operations are in many ways more exacting than normal offensive patrols, which have the zest of battle. During these six patrols
Thule carried out three special operations, two of them 100% successful and of the highest importance and priority, laid a minefield, and sank or destroyed 29 coastal craft.’

It should be added that
Thule also appears to have torpedoed a Japanese submarine off Penang on 28 December 1944 - a few days earlier she had been damaged by an enemy two-pattern depth charge attack which came ‘fairly close’.

Leslie Herbert Charles Nicholson, who was born in September 1916 and was from Dawlish, Devonshire, entered the Royal Navy in September 1934. Transferring to the submarine branch in April 1937, he was serving as a Leading Seaman in the
Snapper on the outbreak of hostilities - her skipper, Lieutenant W. King, R.N., would shortly win a D.S.O. and D.S.C. for early patrols in her - see his memoir The Stick and the Stars.



Nicholson’s subsequent wartime appointments included the
Utmost between September 1940 and the end of 1941, a period in which she was commanded by Lieutenant-Commander R. D. Cayley, R.N., who won no less than three D.S.Os during her extensive patrolling in the Mediterranean theatre during the same period. Nicholson removed to the Sturgeon in February 1943 and to the Thule that November, the latter appointment lasting until the end of hostilities, by which stage he had risen to the rank of Acting Chief Petty Officer. He had, meanwhile, qualified as a senior coxswain (w.e.f. 22 March 1943).

Thule’s captain, Lieutenant-Commander Alastair C. G. Mars, D.S.O., D.S.C.*, R.N., who won his second D.S.C. during the period that Nicholson served under him, makes regular mention of his gallant coxswain in his wartime memoir H.M.S. Thule Intercepts, his first impression of him never wavering, through any number of scares:

‘Fortunately I had had a very lucky draw in my new coxswain. Chief Petty Officer Nicholson was a most efficient and at the same time a very likeable young fellow. His home was in South Devon and he had fortunately a great interest in medicine which was to stand him, and myself, in very good stead later on. Ting’s description of him will suffice: ‘handsome, clean-cut, blue eyes, with a wonderful gift of the gab.’ That is how she described him after the ship’s company dance at Arrochar [during her working-up period in Scotland]. It was a good dance - despite the fact that we had enough beer there to float a battleship ...’

‘About this time E.R.A. John Buck collapsed. At first we thought it heat exhaustion but after being brought round he complained of a little pain and with gradually dawning horror found he could not move his legs. Not even Nicholson had any idea of the cause. As the paralysis seemed to be getting a firmer grip he was quickly transferred to a bunk in the passageway where the coxswain could attend to him. He suffered pain in spasms, but the worse apsect was his complete helplessness. Buck was very young indeed, about twenty-one I think, and I began to be fearful that we were going to lose another youngster, to whom life had not given a chance. Nicholson nursed him with a painstaking, almost motherly care, looking after his every need, washing him continually, encouraging him to eat, providing medicines, cooling his brow and encouraging others to chat with him. The general conditions in the submarine were becoming squalid because we now had a hundred up, water was scarce, the best of the food had gone and the air seemed to become increasingly toxic. These added hardships did not help Nicholson in nursing the sick. Also he had many other duties, not least of which was looking after boils and the general health troubles of the crew. On top of this, he had several of our evacuee passengers down with malaria. For twelve days he had to cope, at the same time as carrying out his ordinary coxswain’s duties. When Buck was eventually taken to Hollywood Hospital in Perth, Western Australia, the doctors simply could not believe their eyes which told them that the boy was still alive. They sent for Nicholson and questioned him closely about the case and they wrote a letter to me saying that the coxswain had undoubtedly saved the young fellow’s life and that his work was a little short of a miracle ...’

Mars also describes in detail a multi-finger amputation that Nicholson had to carry out on another rating - ‘He worked swiftly like a surgeon and I am sure no one could have done a neater job. When the last bandage had been put on he helped himself to another tot saying, ‘That’s as good as I can do, sir. He will be all right now but I think we ought to put him ashore ...’